Thompson Announces 2023 Congressional Art Competition

March 24, 2023
Press Release

Today, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) announced the 2023 Congressional Art Competition for all high school students in California’s Fourth Congressional District.

“The Congressional Art Competition is one of my favorite programs of the year because it showcases the incredible artistic capabilities of students from our district,” said Thompson. “The winner of this competition will have their piece of art decorate the halls of Congress, representing our district and their personal story. I encourage all high school students in our district to submit their work by the deadline.”

The winning artwork from our district will be displayed in the United States Capitol for one year alongside the winning pieces of artwork from other Congressional Districts. In addition, the grand prize winner from our district will be flown with a guest to Washington, D.C. to attend an awards ceremony. The day of the ceremony will be announced soon.

Sonoma County’s Rachel Ding of Maria Carrillo High School won last year’s competition for her acrylic on canvas titled “Happy Hour.” Rachel’s work is currently displayed in the U.S. Capitol.

Artwork must be submitted by April 19th to one of Rep. Thompson’s district offices:

  • 2721 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Napa, CA 94558
  • 2300 County Center Drive, Suite A100, Santa Rosa, CA 95403
  • 622 Main Street, Suite 106, Woodland, CA 95695

The submitted artwork will be judged by a panel of local artists and art experts with the winner announced in May.

The guidelines for the Congressional Art Competition include the following:

  • Artwork must be two-dimensional.
  • Each piece can be no larger than 26” x 26” x 4” (26 inches high, 26 inches wide, and 4 inches deep), including the frame.
  • Framed artwork cannot weigh more than 15 pounds.
  • Acceptable mediums for artwork are as follows:
    • Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.
    • Drawings: colored pencil, pencil, ink, marker, pastels, charcoal (It is recommended that charcoal and pastel drawings be fixed.)
    • Collages: must be two-dimensional
    • Prints: lithographs, silkscreen, block prints
    • Mixed Media: use of more than two mediums such as pencil, ink, watercolor, etc.
    • Computer generated art
    • Photographs
  • Each entry must be original in concept, design, and execution and may not violate U.S. Copyright laws. Any entry that has been copied from an existing photo or image (including a painting, graphic, or advertisement), that was created by someone other than the student is a violation of the competition rules and will not be accepted.
  • The winning piece must be available to be mailed to Washington D.C. in the original medium (that is, not a scanned reproduction of a painting or drawing).

Students and teachers interested in the Congressional Art Competition may contact any of my district offices for further guidance and instruction.